Yangmingshan National Park is located in northern Taipei City, and easily accessible from downtown. Spanning 114SQ. KMthe area is home to numerous parks, hiking trails, interesting plants and wildlife, and the internationally famous hot springs.
Designated as Category II by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a national park for protection of nature and wildlife and ranging in elevation from 200 metres to 1,200 metres, there are many different subtropical and warm temperate climate zones that can be found within the park.
The lasting Japanese influence on the area can be found in the area’s countless hot springs around Beitou and Xingyi Road, as well as many private hot springs only available by reservation. The Japanese also planted black pines, acacia trees, and the Formosan sweet gum to beautify the mountain. To this day, the area is very popular with Japanese tourists.
As the area is rich in sulphur, mining operations previously operated in the area. All mining operations have been shut down due to environmental effects, and visitors can check out the decommissioned mines such as the one at Liuhuanggu.
With its growth as a centre for sulphur mining in northern Taiwan, many Han Chinese such as the Hoklo from Fujian and the Hakka began moving to the area to cultivate tea plantations and other agricultural products, and today, wide-scale agriculture has been replaced by more boutique-style agriculture with a tourism focus, such as the Calla lilies at Zhuzihu.
Each season brings a different type of beauty to the area. February and March are the flowering season, and rhododendrons and cherry blossoms cover the mountain slopes to welcome the spring. Summer brings winds from the southwest with occasional showers and thunder in the afternoon, creating amazing weather effects in the mountains. By October, the mountains are covered with silver grass and the golden red colour of maple leaves. Rainbows can be seen after misty autumn rains. Winter time has unique scenery as well since monsoons bring a cold drizzle that create seas of clouds that look like a fantasy world, with the possibility of snow falling on cold days.
Different tour options are available to Yangmingshan, including a day trip with hot springs.
(Retrieved from:https://guidetotaipei.com/visit/yangmingshan-national-park-陽明山-yang-ming-shan-mountain)
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